(Originally written for BillyYTZ.com – no longer live)
Three years ago I drove my little red rental car around Prince Edward Island in search of the Prince Edward Distillery, which I had heard made vodka out of P.E.I. potatoes – as it turns out, 18 pounds of them (8 kilograms) to make each bottle.
The outfit also distilled delicious gin and blueberry vodka from local ingredients. While there, I had the honour of meeting, touring and tasting with the distiller and co-owner, Julie Shore.
Jump ahead a few years: I was visiting Halifax and stopped in at the new Halifax Distilling Co. After chatting with the team, I discovered that the amazing women behind the Prince Edward Distillery had opened a second distillery and tasting room in a fabulous space in the Nova Scotia capital.
And since the new venture is located in the rum-drinking capital of Canada, this time the focus is on spinning molasses into gold.
Julie Shore and Arla Johnson, both originally from the United States, fell in love with Canada a decade ago – especially the Maritimes. They originally settled into the calm of Prince Edward Island and as well as being the founders of the Johnson Shore Inn, they began creating fantastic spirits for east coasters to enjoy.
